Mail box



Oct. 3, 1967 R. A. NAGLE 3,34

MAIL BOX Filed May 26, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l Richard A. Nagle l I I I I I I I I 1 I l I I I l I I I %Z ATTORNEY R. A. NAGLE Oct. 3, 1967 MAIL BOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 26, 1966 INVENTOR. R 1c ha rd A. Na le 4 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,344,980 MAIL BOX Richard A. Nagle, 1717 Arlington Ave., Orlando, Fla. 32805 Filed May 26, 1966, Ser. No. 553,094 4 Claims. (Cl. 232-33) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mail box having a one piece molded plastic component providing adjacent letter and magazine receptacles having an inclined common wall is disclosed. The box has a cover that is hinged to the component and provided with a lip for engaging an inclined wall of the magazine receptacle. Internally of the letter receptacle is a lifting device that is linked in movement to the cover so that the letters are raised when the cover is opened. The device has a support platform and a back piece that is fixed to the platform for retaining the letters in the supporting structure. Adjacent to the inclined wall, the device is equipped with a pivoted element that also serves to retain the letters in the platform and this element during use of the box serves also to scrape dirt and other accumulations from the internal wall surface of the letter receptacle. A switch element of a signaling device is also mounted on the letter receptacle and this switch serves to properly orient the letters on the platform and is actuated through manipulation of the box cover for signaling purposes.

This invention relates to mail boxes and more particularly to improvements therein which are designed to facilitate recovery by the recipient of the mail deposited in the box and to certain accessories for mail boxes.

A general object of the invention is to provide im-' provements in mail boxes of the household variety.

One object of the invention is to provide a device which makes it easier for the householder to recover the mail from the box and which through use tends to maintain.

a cleaner interior in the area of the box which is normally encountered by the fingers of the householder in removing the mail from the receptacle.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved mail box which can be easily and economically manufactured from low cost materials.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a mail box which is equipped with a signaling device for signaling the householder when the mail box is opened, the signaling device having a switch component which is so located in the interior of the mail box as to aid in orienting the mail on certain components of the lifting device as to facilitate its removal.

In accord with one aspect of the invention a lifting device is housed in the letter receptacle of the mail box and linked in movement to the cover or lid of the mail box so that the mail is lifted as the lid is pivoted into an open position. The device has a movable platform on which the mail is supported in the letter receptacle and one feature of the invention lies in providing a component that serves in retaining the mail on the support and which also serves during the lifting action to scrape the side wall of the receptacle which is most frequently contacted by the fingers in removing the mail and hence serves to dislodge dust, dirt and other matter which tends to accumulate in this internal wall area of the box.

Yet another aspect of the invention relates to the positioning of a switch component of a signaling device in the interior of the letter receptacle and in a position where mail that is deposited in the receptacle tends to also orient itself into a position where the envelopes per se serve to ment receptacle 12 is closed at its opposite sides whereas Patented Oct. 3, 1967 scrape the side walls most frequently contacted by the fingers as the mail is lifted by the device.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection withv the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a mail box embodying the concepts of the invention, the box being seen therein as attached to the exterior wall of a house;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the mail box as seen from the left side in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section view as seen along the lines 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view as seen along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 1 and illustrates the position of certain components of the lift mechanism as seen when the lid or cover of the mail box is in the closed position;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section view generally along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 1 but showing the position assumed by the components of the lift mechanism when the lid of the mail box has been swung into the opened position;

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates an electrical signaling mechanism involving the switch shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a fragment of the box as seen in FIG. 5.

Now with particular reference to the drawings, a mail box embodying the concepts of the invention is generally designated at 10. It includes a one piece component 11 which may be molded from suitable plastic material and which provides a receptacle 12 for letters and yet another receptacle 13 in front thereof for magazines, newspapers and the like. The back portion 14 of the molded component is adapted to confront the outside face of a build- .ing wall 15 and may be hung on the wall by means of screw type fasteners designated at 16.

The molded component 11 has opposite side portions 17 and 18 and which form the opposite side walls of the letter receptacle 12. These side wall forming portions 17 and 18 are integrally joined in the molded component 11 to the opposite ends of a narrow ledge 19 that is horizontally arranged in the embodiment and which spans the width dimension of the back portion 14 generally intermediate the vertical extremities of the back 14. This ledge is formed integral with the back portion 14 in the molding of component 11 and as best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5 projects outwardly from the vertical front face of the back portion 14. A pair of spaced S-shaped clips 20 are fixed to the upper surface of the ledge 19 as seen in the drawings and are sufliciently resilient to enable the insertion of outgoing mail between the clips and back portion, the clips being yieldable as indicated at 21.

The side wall portions 17 and 18 are spaced apart and integrally joined to the opposite ends of an inclined transversely extending panel portion 22 of component 11. This panel serves as the front wall of the letter receptacle 12 and also serves as the back wall of the magazine receptacle 13. The bottom portion 23 of the molded component 11 provides a bottom wall for receptacle 12 and also serves to provide a bottom wall for receptacle 13. The front portion 26 of the box component 11 is molded integral with and supported at the front edge of the bottom portion 23 whereat it serves as an inclined front wall for the magazine receptacle 13. By virtue of the arrangereceptacle 13 is opened at the opposite ends of the wall forming panels 22 and 25 to accommodate the various magazine and newspaper sizes.

Access to receptacle 12 is gained through an opening- 27 at the top thereof, and a generally fiat rectangular lid or cover component 28 is provided to cover the opening 27 and to shield the contents of the receptacle from the elements such as rain, snow and the like. The plastic molded lid 28 is shown in the closed positions in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 and is adapted to also cover the opening 29 at the top of the receptacle 13 when the lid is in the closed position. The cover 28 is hinged to component 11 by a pair of spaced hinges 30 that are fastened to the cover and to the ledge 19 by suitable metal fasteners. The hinge pins of hinges 30 serve to establish a horizontal pivot axis about which the lid can be swung between the closed positions shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 and the opened position shown in FIG. 5. The front edge cover plate 28 has a depending lip 31 that laps the upper edge 32 of wall forming portion 26 when the cover is closed. This lip 31 serves to engage the edge 32 and thus aids to support the front wall 26 of receptacle 13 when the receptacle is loaded with magazines and the like by limiting deflection of the wall portion in the direction of arrow 33 when the receptacle is loaded.

The lifting device 34 serves to lift the mail toward opening 27 as the box cover 28 is opened and is fully housed in the letter receptacle 12. It includes an elongated one piece molded component 35 which is L-shaped in cross section as seen in FIG. 4. This component generally spans the distance between the space side walls of receptacle 12 with sufficient clearance being provided at the opposite ends of the receptacle however to enable general vertical movement of the component 35 in the space between these walls. Component 35 serves in providing a generally rectangular platform 36 on which letters or envelopes such as that designated at 37 in FIGS. 4 and 5 and which are deposited in receptacle 12 are supported after they come to rest in the receptacle. The back section 38 of component 35 is molded integral with and is supported upright on and along the rear edge of the platform section 36. This back section 38 serves in retaining the envelopes on the platform by limiting the extent to which the envelopes deposited in the receptacle can slide backwardly on the surface of the supporting platform 36.

The front edge of platform 36 carries another elongated rectangular component 39 of the lifting device 34. This flat, rectangular component serves among other things as a scraper as will be subsequently seen and is co-extensive in length with the L-shaped component 35. The scraper section of the lift is hinged to platform 36 by a pair of spaced hinges 40. These are fixed to the letter support 36 and to scraper 39 by fasteners designated at 41 and of course the hinge pins of these hinges serve to establish an axis for pivotal movement of the scraper blade which is horizontal. The front edge 42 of scraper 39 is adapted to normally rest on the inclined inner surface 43 of panel 22 and also above the platform so that the component 39 inclines upwardly and forwardly from support 36. By virtue of this arrangement, scraper 39 serves also in retaining envelopes on the platform and of course also serves when the envelopes are inserted in the receptacle to deflect them onto the platform. To prevent the envelopes from passing downwardly in front of the scraper, the underside edge portion is beveled as seen in FIG. 7.

The platform 36 is linked to the cover 28 at the opposite sides of receptacle 12 by means of a pair of spaced plastic link bars designated at 44 and 45. To facilitate the linkage arrangement, a pair of ears 46 are fixed upright at the opposite ends of the platform, these ears being preferably molded integral with this structural component of the lifting device 34. The lower ends of the spaced links 44 and are pivotally connected to these ears in the assembly by means of pivot elements 47. The cover 28 has a pair of spaced ears 48 which are molded integral with the cover component at the underside thereof. These ears 48 are arranged in Working alignment with those at the opposite ends of the links and are secured to the upper ends of the link bars 45 by means of pivot elements 49.

FIG. 4 illustrates the position which the lifting device 34 assumes when the cover is in the closed position whereas FIG. 5 illustrates the position that the lifting device assumes when the cover has been swung to the open position shown therein. As the cover is opened the component 35 is drawn upwardly by reasons of the linkage to the cover and as this happens the scraper blade 39 scrapes along the internal surface of the inclined receptacle wall and dislodges dirt, etc. from the wall, the arrangement being such that the L-shaped component 35 tilts somewhat at the end of the upward stroke and assumes the position shown in FIG. 5.

The use of an electrical signaling device which is energized to sound an appropriate signal when the cover of a mail box is opened is known in the art and the circuitry may take various forms such as that shown in FIG. 6 and designated at 50. This circuit 50 includes an audible sound producer such as the bell designated at 51 and which under normal circumstances would be located internally of the building. The bell is shown in FIG. 6 as connected by an electrical lead line 52 to one side of a power source shown in this instance as a battery 53. The other side of the battery is connected to the other side of the hell by an electrical lead line 54 which has a push button switch 55. This switch 55 is biased by a spring, not shown, into the closed position so as to engage the switch contacts 56 and thus to complete the circuit energizing the bell 51.

Switch 55 is shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 and is mounted on the inside of the back wall of receptacle 12 with the push button 57 forwardly offset from the back wall and extending upwardly in a position at which it is depressed through contact with the lid 28 when the latter is in the closed position. As such when the lid is closed switch 55 is in the open position and the circuit is deenergized. On the other hand when the lid is opened the pressure of the lid on the push button 57 is relieved and by virtue of the spring loading of the switch the spring is closed and thus the circuit is energized with the resultant audible sound being produced.

Switch 55 is located in the embodiment between the side links of the device and the front surface 58 of the switch housing is above the support and forwardly of ledge 19. This arrangement tends to prevent envelopes and the like from assuming an upright position on the support 36 at the time they are inserted by the mailman in the receptacle, and hence the lower edge of the envelopes tend to seek the corner of the L-shape component 35 as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5. Under these circumstances the upper edge of the envelopes tend to come to rest against the front wall of receptacle 12 so that jamming of the envelopes between the support and ledge 19 is avoided when the support is raised and the envelopes are in a more convenient position to be removed from the receptacle. Furthermore through use of the mail box 10, the upper edges of the thus oriented envelopes tend to slide up the inclined side wall at the upper reaches thereof as the lid is opened. This action tends to keep the internal surface in the upper reaches of the wall clean Whereas the edge 42 of the support serves to dislodge dust, etc. in the middle area of the wall as the blade slides on the wall during vertical movement of the lift.

While only certain preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown and described by way of illustration, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and it is, therefore, desired that it be understood that it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A mail box comprising a letter receptacle having an opening at the top thereof, a lid hinged to the receptacle and adapted to cover said opening, and a letter lifting device linked in movement to said lid and being adapted and arranged to lift letters deposited in said receptacle toward said opening as said lid is moved to an open position therefor, said receptacle having an inclined about wall, said lifting device having means for supporting letters in said receptacle and further having inclined means pivotally connected to the supporting means and resting on the interior surface of said inclined wall in front of the pivotal connection to the support means.

2. A mail box comprising a letter receptacle having an opening at the top thereof, a lid hinged to the receptacle and adapted to cover said opening, and a letter lifting device linked in movement to said lid and being adapted and arranged to lift letters deposited in said receptacle toward said opening as said lid is moved to an open position therefor, said receptacle having an inclined front Wall, and said lifting device having generally vertically movable support means in said receptacle for supporting letters therein, upright means fixed to and at the rear of said support means for retaining letters on said support means, and inclined means hinged to and at the front of said support means for retaining letters on said support means, said inclined means having a front edge portion resting on the interior surface of the inclined front wall and being adapt-ed and arranged to slide on said surface during vertical movement of said support means.

3. A mail box comprising a letter receptacle having an opening at the top thereof, a lid hinged to the receptacle and adapted to cover said opening, and a letter lifting device linked in movement to said lid and being adapted and arranged to lift letters deposited in said receptacle toward said opening as said lid is moved to an open position therefor, said receptacle having an inclined front wall and said lifting device having a component including a vertically movable support for letters in the receptacle, and an upright portion at the back of and fixed to said support for retaining letters on said support, and another component at the front of and pivot-ally connected to said support for retaining letters on said support and for scraping dirt from the interior surface of said inclined front wall, said box further comprising a switching component of an electrical signaling device, said switching component being in said receptacle and actuatable by movement of said lid.

4. A mail box comprising a one piece molded plastic component having a letter receptacle provided with an opening at the top thereof and forwardly inclined internal front wall surface, a magazine receptacle provided with an open top portion and a forwardly inclined front wall, a back wall section rising above said letter receptacle; a lid hinged to said plastic component and pivotally movable between an open position and a closed position at which the lid covers said opening and said open top portion, said lid having a depending lip adapted and arranged to engage the upper edge of said inclined front wall; a lifting device housed in said letter receptacle having an elongated one piece molded plastic component provided with a support platform and retainer means integral with said support platform for retaining envelopes thereon and further having an elongated scraper blade hinged to said platform and resting on said internal front wall surface in front of said platform, elongated link means pivotally connected to said lid and pivotally connected to said platform below said lid; and switch means of a signaling device housed in said letter receptacle having a switch button depressed by said lid in the closed position therefor having a surface beneath said opening and forwardly of said retainer means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 570,270 10/ 1896 Richner et a1. 232-33 1,021,100 3/1912 Hopkins 232'36 1,295,624 2/1919 Smith 23233 1,313,354 8/1919 Torkelson 23243.3 1,442,578 1/ 1923 Landrum 232-36 2,552,628 5/1951 Gallaher 232-17 2,860,830 11/1958 Mrenza 232-17 3,040,141 6/1962 Whildin et al. 232-36 FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MAIL BOX COMPRISING A LETTER RECEPTACLE HAVING AN OPENING AT THE TOP THEREOF, A LID HINGED TO THE RECEPTACLE AND ADAPTED TO COVER SAID OPENING, AND A LETTER LIFTING DEVICE LINKED IN MOVEMENT TO SAID LID AND BEING ADAPTED AND ARRANGED TO LIFT LETTERS DEPOSITED IN SAID RECEPTACLE TOWARD SAID OPENING AS SAID LID IS MOVED TO AN OPEN POSITION THEREFOR, SAID RECEPTACLE HAVING AN INCLINED ABOUT WALL, SAID LIFTING DEVICE HAVING MEANS FOR 